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A review by miny03rd
Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
So where do I even start? I guess we can begin on: HOLY SHIT!!! and OH MY GOD!!!!
I requested the ARC of “Hazelthorn” because I was completely and utterly enamored by C.G. Drews’ previous novel, “Don’t Let the Forest In,” which I also was an ARC reader of. In “Don’t Let the Forest In,” Drews showcased some of the most descriptive and visceral writing I have ever come across…and “Hazelthorn” was even better.
I could ramble on and on about how much I absolutely adore the way that Drews writes. Drews creates scenes so vivid that there isn’t a moment that I don’t feel like I’m *there*. And I absolutely love that Drews has found a niche and stuck to it. The dark sentient plant body horror they have produced absolutely floored me in the first book I read by them and then completely bowled me over while reading “Hazelthorn.” This is genuinely horror writing at its finest.
I also loved the main characters. Evander and Laurie are so endearing and I loved the way their relationship with each other is built within the novel. Being inside of Evander’s head was fascinating and I could not get enough of his brain. Drews does a phenomenal tortured MC who is trying their absolute hardest to figure out what is happening to them.
I’m not usually a huge YA reader but this is one of those books that I seriously couldn’t tell it was YA. It’s dark, unsettling and so captivating I couldn’t put it down. “Hazelthorn” has definitely solidified C.G. Drews on my auto-read and auto-buy authors list!
So where do I even start? I guess we can begin on: HOLY SHIT!!! and OH MY GOD!!!!
I requested the ARC of “Hazelthorn” because I was completely and utterly enamored by C.G. Drews’ previous novel, “Don’t Let the Forest In,” which I also was an ARC reader of. In “Don’t Let the Forest In,” Drews showcased some of the most descriptive and visceral writing I have ever come across…and “Hazelthorn” was even better.
I could ramble on and on about how much I absolutely adore the way that Drews writes. Drews creates scenes so vivid that there isn’t a moment that I don’t feel like I’m *there*. And I absolutely love that Drews has found a niche and stuck to it. The dark sentient plant body horror they have produced absolutely floored me in the first book I read by them and then completely bowled me over while reading “Hazelthorn.” This is genuinely horror writing at its finest.
I also loved the main characters. Evander and Laurie are so endearing and I loved the way their relationship with each other is built within the novel. Being inside of Evander’s head was fascinating and I could not get enough of his brain. Drews does a phenomenal tortured MC who is trying their absolute hardest to figure out what is happening to them.
I’m not usually a huge YA reader but this is one of those books that I seriously couldn’t tell it was YA. It’s dark, unsettling and so captivating I couldn’t put it down. “Hazelthorn” has definitely solidified C.G. Drews on my auto-read and auto-buy authors list!